Holding mechanism



Dec. 7 1926.

c. H. --oMLlNsoN HOLDING MECHANISM Filed May 4. 1925 2 sheets-sheet. 1

M Il i C. H. TOMLINSON Dec. 7 1926.'

HOLDING MECHANIVSM Filed May 4, 1925 -2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 7, 1926.

CHARLES H. ToMLINsoN,y o F MANSFIELD, entre; nssreivon'ro 'rie-E lroivrrluson COUPLER COMPANY, 0F MANSFIELD,

cristo, A conronATI'oN or onto..

nomine MncHANrsM Application filed May 4,

My invent-ion relates to a holding mechanism and has particularv reference to a device for holding a pivotally mounted car coupler in afsubstantially fixed position when the coupler is not in use.

Car couplers used on electrically operated lines are usually pivotally mounted so that they have considerable lateral movement for the reason that electric'cars are usually oper'ated over tracks which have very short radius curves and if the couplers were not pivotally mounted great stress would be brought upon the coupler or the car body and damage most. likely be done to the equipment.

When two or more cars are coupled together it will be recognized' that the front and rear .coupler on the train will be tree tol move laterally about their pivotal points when the'train suddenly rounds a curve and this may be dangerous to life and property and` at the same time annoyance tothe vpassengers due to the bumping of thecoupler against its stops as it swings from side to side.

Therefore, I haveproduced an invention for preventing the lateral movement of the lcouplers whenever they are not in coupled relation. y A

My invention is sov arranged that the couplers may be movedr into locked position manually or they may be locked in a .central position automatically upon they separating of two coupled cars.` The locked couplers willbe releasedl automatically upon two cars beingl coupled and the` air for'operating the air brakes completed from car to car through the fluid pressure lines.

My invention resides in the new and novel construction, combination and relation off the various partsl herein .described and shown in the drawing accompanying this specifica-tion.

In the drawing:V

Fig. l is a side view showing my invention as mounted underneath a car body and in locking engagement with a spring draw bar carrier used to yieldingly support .a coupler head and permit its lateral movement at the same time. Y

A spring draw bar carriersimilar to that shown in Fig. l is shown and described in my lPatent No. 934,375, dated September 14, 1909,. and this patent also showsthe spring i925. serieu Nn. 27,711,

carrier as mounted upon a Acircle bar and supportino a. pivotally mounted coupler. I have not described the spring carrier in detail for the reason that its construction is not a part of myinvention herein described. Fig. 2 is an end view in elevation oi Fig.

Fig. -3 is a longitudinal sectional view of my invention. Y r

F ig. 4 is a top View of the holding member. Y Fig. 5 is a side view of! two cars,V vas in Fig. l,r in .coupled relation.

In mounting car couplers for lateral or radial movement they-are generally pivot.- ally secured to the car body and supported adjacent the eXtreme end of the carby what vis known as a spring carrier designated in the drawing as C. These carriers are se cured to the under-sills l of' the car body by means of hangers 2 to which is secured a circle bar 3. The carrier C is provided with over-turned lugs 4 which rest upon the circle bari-3.` There is a -spacevbetween the inner ends of the lugs 4 and between these ends l the hangers 2 'aresecured by means ofv the bolts or rivets 5 and the .hangers are secured to the `sills 1. by means offthe bolts 6. It will be understood vby reference tomy previous patent mentionedv above that the circle bar is of sufficient length to take care of the required lateral' movement of the coupler. As' just described, the spring' car.- rier C is free to move laterally=both when its coupler is connected with the coupler on another car or when it is ulncoupled and the car sawings around a curve, as already described; The spring carrieralso permits the coupler to movey up anddo-wn with breaks in grade, as described in my previous patent. 1 e j In order to prevent the lateral vmovement of the coupler whennot in coupled relation, I employ an automatic device H arranged to normally eng'agethe carrier'C through` e the action of a spring and to maintain `a released position with respect tothe carrier C through fluid pressure means. l YNearly all electric cars at the present day are equipped when two cars are coupled together'V the fluid pressure conduits on the-"coupled cars are also coupled together, and I make use offthis fact in releasing the couplers for withthe air brake system and lateral movement' and maintaining them in a released position when two cars are coupled together.

The holding device H comprises a cylinder 7 which is closed by a cap 8 at one end. To the cap 8 is Vsecured a boss 9 having a passage 10 therethrough and into the chamber 11 of the cylinder 7. rlhe outer end ot the passage 10 is screw-threaded, as shown at 12, and by means of which a hose 13 may be connected to the holding device H for communication with the chamber 11. Mounted in the chamber 11 isa piston 14 provided with packing 15 to prevent air pressure irom one side of the piston to the other. Secured to the piston is a projecting piston rod 16 passing through the opening 17 in the end of the cylinder' opposite the cap 8. The end of the cylinder through which the piston rod 16 passes forms a shoulder 18 and interposed between this shoulder and the piston 14 is a spring 19 constantly urging the piston rod 16 and piston 14 toward the cap 8. The piston rod is secured to the piston head 14 by means of the'nut 20.

A friction holding member 21 is secured to the piston rod 16 by means of the bolts 22. It is evident that other means of securing these parts together may be employed. The holding member 21 is provided with a face '23' which engages the face 24 on the movable carrier and is held against the movable carrier through `the medium of the spring `19. The holding device H may be mounted on the circle bar 3 by means of the foot 25 and the boltand nut 26. The t'oot member 25 is of such'a width as to not interfere with the movement of the carrier 3 and it is usual to mount the holding device H central of the circle bar so that it will rest substantially upon the longitudinal ccnter line of the car. l/Vith such n'iou'nting the coupler will be held in a substantially central position and if two cars are brought togethep on a tangent or straight track, they will usually be centered so that no manual centering will be required, and if the uncoupling is done on the tangent or straight track then the holding device will lock the coupler automatically in central position when the cars are separated.

The Huid-pressure connection between two cars usually comprises a pipe 27 which may be connected to the face of the coupler as at 27', as shown in my Patent No. 1,094,612, dated April 28, 1914, whereby the fluid pressure connection between two cars may be made automatically or the fluid pressure connection between the cars may be made by a hose coupling as is common in steam road operation. To the fluid pressure line 27 I connect the hose 13 and I interpose a valve 29 between such connection and the source ot iiuid pressure supply on the car and this valve 29 must always be closed when a car is operating as a unit, butpmust always be open between two cars when they are coupled together especially 1t the line 27 is part of the air brake system, but the front and rear valves on a train of two or more cars must remain closed when the'cars are coupled.

From this it will be apparent that whenever the valve 29 is Closed no air can flow into the fluid pressure connection 27 and hence no air can be supplied to the cylinder 7 through the hose 13 and the spring 19 will maintain the holding member 2O in a lockengaging position, that is, in a position to engage or be engaged by the carrier C. II"a however7 the two cars are coupled together and the valves 29 between the coupler Lars are open, either on one car or both if both are supplied with a complete air system7 then the fiud pressure connection 27 between the two cars will be Hooded with air pressure and the air will flow through the hose 13 into the cylinder 7 and the piston 14 will be `Vmoved against the action of the spring 19 and the holding member 21 will be moved out of engagement with the carrier C or out of an engaging position therewith. It' now the valves 29 are closed the holding member 21 will remain disengaged due to the trapped air pressurebetween the valves 29 and will remain so until the air pressure is reduced sufficientlyl either by leakage, separation of the coupler heads Vor .bleeding as by the valves. 29 when closed.

This will permit free lateral movement of the two carriers Cfand the cooperating couplers 28 andthis free movement will continue as long as the cars are coupledythe valve 29 open on one or both of the coupled cars` and suflicient air pressure is in the conduit 27 between the valves 29 on the two cars. The holding devices H on the untoupled ends of the train will remain in engagement with the carrier C because the conduit 27 will have nopressure therein as the valve 29 will befclosed. which is necessary when the air brake system on the two cars is in operative condition. Y .i

It will be possible for one to manually move thel coupler andvits Carrier into locking engagement with the holding` member 21 as the holding member is held by the yielding spring 19 and when the coupler is moved intoalinement with the holding device H the carrier will first engage the beveled faces 30 and with sufiicient force applied to the coupler the member 21 will be movedback as the coupler advances until the coupler has been brought into its proper position. n It will be quite evident that'the holding device H may be suspended upon a plate or other form of support mounted between the sills 1-1 in place of mounting it upon the circle'bar 3, and its position with respect tothe sides of the carsmay be anything desired within range of the'lateral` movement of the coupler, but the usual" position is in line with the center longitudinal linefoitvv the car.

I It'will also be apparent` that in place' of having the friction member 21 hold the ear'- rir ini Position, bv friction! @ely that the member 21 maybe so arranged as to actuallyY interlock with the carrierC, as vfor instance, by placingY al small project-10u31 upon the engagingv face 2,3 of 'the member 21 which will 'engage with a corresponding recess in thefengaging face 2st of the carrier Also, it will Vbe' evident that the member 21' might be vprojected downward a suiicient distance so as to interlock with lugs upon the coupler stem 28. The'member 21I maybesecured tofthe rod 16 by set s crevvs or other means Which will permit theV adjustment etat-hemember 21 relative to the rod 16 both rotatably and longitudinally and this Will no doubt be of advantage lunder conditions Where the operating mechanism may be supplied for use with parts already installed.

Many other modifications will suggest themselves, but Which will fall Within the scope of my invention and, therefore, I Wish to be limited only by my claims.

I claim:

1. The combination With a'radially movable coupler, of means operating to prevent the radial movement of the coupler when not in coupled relation with a companion coupler and operating to permit unlimited movement of the coupler When in coupled relation.

2. The combination With a radially movable coupler, of means to prevent the radial movement ofthe coupler when not in coupled relation and to permit free radial movement ot the coupler when the coupler is in coupled and operating relation with acompanion coupler.

` 3. The combination with a radially movable car and air coupler, of spring-held means interlocked With the coupler to prevent the radial movement ot the coupler when not in coupled relation but automatically released from said interlock when air is flowing to said coupler.

4. The combination With a laterally movable coupler, of means to hold the coupler in a predetermined position and to prevent lateral movement when not in coupled relation and pneumatic operated means to release the holding means When the coupler is in operative coupled relation with a companion coupler.

5. The combination with a laterally movable coupler, of means to hold the coupler in a predetermined position and against lateral movement When not in coupled relation and means to automatically release the holding means and maintain it out of 'operai tive relation With-the? coupler when tlie"co1j pier isin operative relation Vwith a' companion coupler.A i

6.` TheV combination Vwith` a pair of cooperating radially` movable car couplers -on tivo cars, otholding meanson each car tor. said couplers'arrangedto automatically release tlie couplers-and permit V unlimited .and tree l'radial *movement when the cars )are operating coupled and to' vautomatically l'mit and; prevent" the free radial movement of the couplers on tlieirrespective cars `Vwhen the couplers' are moved apart.

. 7. rPhe combination-ffii a radially movcar coupler mounted ona car, a Huidy to move the holding means to a holding position when the said valve or valves are close-d and to maintain the said holding means in a holding position When the cars are separated.

8. The combination with a car coupler mounted on a car for radial movement and having a carrier for the coupler mounted on the car for radial movement, of holding means to engage the carrier When the car is operating singly to prevent the radial.k movement of thev coupler and means to release the said holding'means from engagement With the carrier when the car is operating with its coupler connected to a companion coupler. f

9. In a coupler holding device to permit or prevent the lateral swing of a car coupler, depending upon the coupler being coupled to or uncoupled from a cooperating coupler respectively, comprising in combination a cylinder, a piston mounted therein and movable in one direction by a spring and in the other direction by a fluid-pressure and means operated by the movement of the piston by the spring to pre-vent the lateral swing of the coupler and to permit the lateral swing ot the coupler Whcn'the piston is operated by the fluid pressure.

10. The combination with a support bar secured to a car adjacent its-end, of a carrier slidably mounted thereon to move in a lateral direction, means on the carrier to support a pivotally mounted car coupler, a tluidpressure system on the car and vmeans normally engaging the carrier when the Coupler is uncoupled to prevent lateral movement of the carrier and operated from the fluid pressure system to permit free lateral movement of the carrier When the coupler is coupled to a cao-operating coupler.

l1. The Combination with a car provided With a fluid pressure system of va pivotally mounted oar and fluid pressure coupler to cooperate Wit-hf a similary car and Huid Coupler, a valve to control the HOW of air tothe fluid pressure coupler, a carrier to supportJ the coupler, holding means operated yautomatically to prevent the free lateral movement of the coupler when uncoupled and operated automatically from the fluid pressure system When the control valve is open and the coupler in coupled relation With a cooperating device to permitl the free operation of the holding means and means connect.

ing the holding means to the fluid pressure system.

12. The combination with ajcar and ,air coupling mechanism7 of means normallyv holdingv the lCoupler in ka fixed and predetermined position, but l.automatically releasing the same When the lcoupler isl in operating relation with a cooperating coupler. n

13. A coupler holding device comprising a cylinder, a piston mounted in the cylinder, means to move the piston in onel direction and means to move the piston in the other direction and means operated by the piston and adjustable relative to the piston to prevent the radial movement of the coupler When the piston moves in one direction and to permit the radial movement of the coupler when the piston moves in the other direction.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

.oHARLEs H. ToMLINsoN. 

